Coronation Day
by She11y
Summary: It's Coronation Day - at last! - but Kristoff and Sven are keeping to themselves as per usual. Whilst preparing for another journey to the ice, they're briefly interrupted by Corona's beloved couple who have visited Arendelle to join in with the celebrations.
1. Chapter 1

Everywhere burst with colour. There were markets, music and a myriad of people full of the energy they had been preserving for 13 years: it was Coronation Day.

Arendelle was busily preparing for the event, one which meant so much more than just a crowning ceremony; the palace gates were being opened at last.

Visitors from nearby lands travelled by carriage or boat for the occasion and were greeted warmly by the local villagers. They stepped into arms of jubilation: a small parade marched through the village centre, hosted by cheery musicians that played a constant stream of entertaining music; people danced in large groups to the festive tunes; flags and welcome banners stretched across buildings and posts; and there were rows upon rows of market stools, each with different offerings from eloquent bouquets to homemade crafts.

A man stood amidst it all with his reindeer companion. Together, they lived in a solitude bubble where they could remain peaceful bystanders of the event; they were happiest that way. Crunching lazily on a carrot, he watched families and couples pass from stool to stool, eager to get a glimpse of everything.

"No, Sven; you've already had your half," he said to the reindeer when his wandering snout came for the end of his carrot. At the human's refusal, Sven pouted his furry lips.

"_Please! I gotta run all night for you after all,_" the man said in the low voice he used when speaking for his reindeer.

"Alright, _alright!_" He answered, grabbing another carrot from the stock he had in his sledge.

As he turned back to offer the snack, he discovered Sven's attention had been distracted by another. She was petite, owned a brunette pixie cut and wore a pale pink gown with a laced corset, sweetheart neckline, and puffed sleeves. The affection she showed him was almost sickening to watch but Sven was hardly complaining. He rubbed his head against hers happily as she tickled behind his antlers and spoke to him in an overly caring voice, exaggerating her words until they became too sweet to swallow.

Nobody spoke to Sven like that.

The man cleared his throat. She looked up at him with bright green eyes and grinned.

"He's _gorgeous!_" She squealed happily, and she planted a kiss on his snout.

"Yeah, well, we're heading off soon, _aren't we Sven_?" He said, tugging on the girth around the reindeer's body. Sven looked at him in annoyance.

"Where are you heading?" The woman asked politely.

"I cut ice for a living," said the man airily. "And Sven here pulls my sledge." He pretended to busy himself with adjusting the harness on the uncooperative reindeer.

"You cut _ice_?" A different voice asked. The words had come from a man, some years older than he, who stood beside the woman with his arm wrapped around her waist. Most of his clothing was black: his trousers, his leather boots and his shirt which had long sleeves and secured at the wrist with golden cufflinks. Over his torso he wore a royal purple waistcoat, collared and fastened at the neck. On his right, his front shoulder was emblazoned with a yellow sun which sat above a line of awarded badges. Over his left shoulder he donned a leather brown sash, beholding a golden brooch of the same symbol embroidered on his waistcoat. Like his eyes, his hair was dark brown, growing just past his jawline and he fashioned a small goatee.

The ice harvester crossed his arms defensively. "Yes."

"That explains the muscles and interesting boots then!" The visitor joked, reaching over to lightly punch one of his thick biceps. He didn't react, nor did his frame even move from the playful thump.

Unperturbed, the older man thrust a confident hand at him. "Prince Eugene Fitzherbert of Corona," he announced proudly. Taken aback, the younger did better to hide his reluctance of accepting the hand shake. "Kristoff."

"And this is my wife-"

"Rapunzel," the woman finished with a smile.

Only then did Kristoff notice the guards further back, also wearing Corona's emblem, observing their encounter intently.

Kristoff flattened his blonde hair and blushed. Whether it was from the audience, the princess' kind sincerity or the realisation of his pathetic status compared to the prince's, he wasn't sure.

"So… _ice_," Eugene repeated. "How's that business going?"

"Pretty good," answered Kristoff. "I'm actually getting ready to harvest now."

"And miss the celebration?" Eugene asked incredulously.

"I'm not much of a party-goer," he admitted casually. He returned back to fixing Sven to his sledge.

"Man, you have not lived," Eugene declared, stressing each word in quick succession. His informal tone surprised Kristoff. "We host the best parties at Corona. Now, you missed the wedding celebration - _that_ was a blast. Too much champagne, not enough cake, if you get my drift." He gave a conspicuous wink to Kristoff who stared back blankly, not getting the prince's drift at all. "But how's this," Eugene continued. "I'll write you an invitation to our next shindig and I'll show you what I mean."

"Uh, I'm usually kind of busy…"

"Nonsense!" cried Eugene.

"Well, I guess I could-"

"Great!" The prince interrupted. He slapped Kristoff heartily on the back before looking around and realising Rapunzel had disappeared. Rolling his eyes he said, "If you'll excuse me, I have to go look for my wife again."

"Sure." Kristoff shrugged.

"But I'll catch you again later," Eugene said, striding over to where the guards had gathered who had evidently been keeping better watch over Rapunzel's movements.

He turned back around for a brief moment and pointed to an old man selling flower wreaths at his stool. "By the way," he called, intending to grab the seller's attention. "You should know that there's a suspicious looking fella who's been trying to steal your earnings for the past five minutes."

The old man looked at the thief in surprise. He thrust his arms angrily at him and yelled curses that made nearby parents cover their children's ears in alarm. As two guards closed in on the commotion, Eugene flashed a cocky grin at the captured criminal and hurried over to his wife who had been occupying herself at a pottery stand.

Kristoff watched him embrace her from behind and shook his head.

"You up for a party soon then, Sven?" he asked, hopping into his sledge.

The reindeer nodded his head enthusiastically. Kristoff chuckled.

"Do a good job today and I might consider it." Ready, he shook the reins and gave Sven the command.

And so their journey began.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you ready?"

At the Queen's words, the people of the kingdom erupted into a round of cheers and encouraging claps, eager for a glimpse of her winter wonderland magic. The last traces of anxiety melted from Elsa's face, replaced with a radiating smile. She stamped her glass slipper on the ground beneath them.

A sheet of ice spiralled outward from the contact her foot made. It spread and coated the ground, smoothing out its cobbled surface. When the ice reached the edges, it shot up every archway surrounding the courtyard. The cool blue glazing on each pillar created a dazzling mirror effect that reflected sunlight back and forth above the awed villagers. Elsa curled her left arm up to the fountain beside her to encrust it with frozen crystals. The water which burst high from the top of the ornament solidified into elegant swirls and then she raised her right arm to do the same for the fountain opposite.

For the finale, she pointed her hands to the sky. Sparks dripped from her fingertips and with a surge of power she released an icy firework from her palms. It exploded into thousands of dazzling snowflakes which fell majestically within the Queen's ice rink.

Her astounded audience reached out to touch the flurries of white to declare their authenticity. Satisfied that their eyes had not mistaken them, they took their first unsteady steps on the slippery surface. The atmosphere was alive; an undeniable thrill had set alight within every individual.

Kristoff remained, as usual, a bystander of the event with his reindeer companion, Sven. Together they observed the royal sisters, bonding over the prospect of Anna trying to skate. Kristoff smiled; he could see she was happier.

And so was he.

Despite having her sister back, Anna still wanted him. To her, he meant more than an escort for her adventures or the village's ice deliverer. To her, he meant something. A princess, whose existence defined beauty and bravery and what it meant to love, cared for a fixer-upper like him.

Without warning, Sven charged onto the ice rink, leaving Kristoff with no choice but to grab onto his tail to haul him back. His attempt made little difference and they slid fast along the ice.

"Look out! Reindeer coming through!" He waved his arm whilst announcing their oncoming to give warning. As they skated unsteadily past Anna and Elsa, time slowed. Kristoff watched the princess, transfixed. Whether it was the thrilled flush of her cheeks, the vibrancy in her eyes or a factor unrelated to her arresting appearance, there was an aspect about her which was purely mesmerising.

He was drawn to her; he reached out a hand, craving just a touch.

"Hey guys!" Olaf cried, speeding towards them on his large snowball feet. His bold entrance startled Kristoff, who stumbled forward whilst still holding onto Sven's tail. The reindeer eventually slowed upon reaching the opposite end of the ice rink and Kristoff skidded to a halt.

Breathless from the sudden cold wind, he rested an elbow on Sven. He chuckled quietly.

"That was… exhilarating," he said to the reindeer, wiping away the melted remains of a snowflake that had trail down his forehead.

"I'll say!" exclaimed a voice just behind him.

Kristoff had identified the speaker before he had turned around to face him. He mustered his most convincing smile. "So you're still here?"

Eugene grinned and gave a modest shrug. "Rapunzel didn't want to miss the show."

On cue, the princess appeared at his side and linked her arm with his. The pair were dressed similar to Kristoff's initial encounter with him, yet had since donned a scarf each due to the colder temperatures. As before, their guards stood in the near distance, observing intently.

"It's been a wonderful visit," Rapunzel said, beaming. "I wish we could stay longer."

"Then why don't you?" Kristoff asked politely.

"We would," admitted Eugene, "but the king and queen are worrying more than necessary about their daughter." He patted Rapunzel's arm on his fondly.

"Did they respond to our telegraph?" Rapunzel asked.

"Oh yes," Eugene muttered. "Your mother was hysterical."

Kristoff's expression was quizzical. "Hysterical?"

"Rapunzel was stolen when she was a baby and kept in a tower for most of her life," Eugene explained offhandedly. "I suppose, considering the circumstances, her parents' reactions are perfectly normal."

"Oh," Kristoff murmured, one eyebrow slightly raised.

During this time, Rapunzel had broken away and turned her attention to Sven who was overjoyed by his reencounter with the affectionate princess.

Kristoff's subtle grimace broke as Eugene nudged him.

"I have to know," he murmured to him. "Are you and the princess a _thing_ now?"

Heat flooded to Kristoff's cheeks and he found that his speech was a splutter when he attempted to defend his dignity.

"Oh come _on_," Eugene cried. "You kissed in public! You'll make tomorrow's headline, guaranteed."

"Well... I… we," stammered Kristoff. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"_Relax_," Eugene eased, gently shaking the shoulder of the humiliated man. "This is a really good thing."

"Look, I'm nothing special. Anna needs a prince and I'm not a prince, so -"

"Whoa, hold it right there," Eugene said firmly. He held a hand up to stop Kristoff from continuing. "Do you really think I've always been a prince? I mean, look at me."

Kristoff took the time to fully look over the prince: from the richness of his dark hair and sophisticated goatee to his winning smile and defined physique. The man was born to be a prince.

"You look convincing to me," Kristoff admitted.

Eugene chuckled lightly to himself. "Okay, so now I do. But if you'd seen me a few years back you'd think _way _different."

Wanting him to elaborate, Kristoff looked at him expectantly.

Eugene rolled his eyes. "You can't tell anyone this. It's taken this long for people to forget my old reputation."

"Okay…" Kristoff agreed uncertainly.

"I used to be a thief," the prince muttered hurriedly. "A thief that was wanted dead. I met Rapunzel and changed my life for the better."

"And you were accepted… just like that?"

"Just like that," Eugene confirmed. He folded his arms and nodded. "But seriously you can't tell anyone what I just said."

"You have my word, Eugene," Kristoff said. "And thank you." He presented his hand and a warm grin. Accepting the offer, Eugene shook his hand heartily.

"Kristoff, I had a blast. When I find a reason to host a party, you'll be the first to know."

"I'm in," Kristoff promised.

With a final clap of the shoulder, Eugene turned away to leave. "Blondie, let's go!"

He stopped as he realised that neither Rapunzel nor Sven were no longer by their side. Looking around frantically, his eyes made contact with the guards. They nodded in the direction of the ice rink's center. Gliding in a graceful circle were the two princesses of Arendelle and Corona. They laughed and held onto each other for support as they tried to race after Elsa who skated skilfully along the sheet of ice.

Sighing with happiness and relief, Eugene gazed lovingly at his princess. "She's a beauty," he murmured.

In the midst of wondering why Eugene had called the brunette princes 'Blondie', Kristoff's eyes never left Anna. Soon all his thoughts were of her and to himself he whispered, "She truly is."


End file.
